Apartment building coming to East River Road in 2023

A 79-unit apartment building is coming to the East River Business Park in the Spring of 2023.

The building will be called The Dunkeld, named after the ship which carried passengers from Scotland to Pictou in 1791. The building is owned by Dartmouthbased Somerled Properties.

The multi-residential building will be 56 per cent two-bedroom and

44 per cent one-bedroom residences, with some of the one-bedroom units being barrier-free.

Additionally, more than 30 per cent of the spaces are targeted for affordable housing.

“We are interested in making a positive impact in Pictou County and across the Maritimes,” said Somerled president and CEO Donald MacDonald in a press release.

The building will also have 11,000 square feet of commercial space on the complex’s ground floor.

“Once Somerled agreed to dedicate a percentage of the ground floor to commercial development, we started moving forward with them in earnest,” says Frank MacFarlane, East River Business Park’s business development officer.

MacDonald’s other companies, DORA Construction and Eastcut Wood Building Solutions, the latter having a Trenton location, will collaborate for the construction.

Eastcut Wood Building Solutions will be manufacturing the walls and floors. It will then be trucked to the East River Business Park, where DORA Construction will put the pieces together to create the complex.

“By building in a controlled environment at our Eastcut facility, we are reducing construction site waste by approximately two-thirds when compared to a traditional stick build,” says MacDonald.

New Glasgow’s mayor Nancy Dicks says the development is great for the region, showing that Pictou County’s population is growing.

“There are people who are on waiting lists for apartments from outside Pictou County who are a lot of times looking to come home.”

She says The Dunkeld will also provide locals with an opportunity to downsize and sell their homes.

People can visit www. thedunkeld.com for additional information about the planned residential and commercial spaces available at The Dunkeld.

Advertising signage will soon be onsite.